Who are the three powerful Iranian figures killed in Israeli strikes?

Israel announced that its "Operation Rising Line" was aimed at thwarting Iran's nuclear program, however it also the killed several top Iranian military figures and nuclear scientists. Iran has also confirmed these deaths of its prominent officials and scientists.

Here are the details of the figures whose deaths have been confirmed by Iranian state media so far:

General Mohammad Bagheri – Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces

General Mohammad Bagheri, Iran’s military chief of staff, was the second-most powerful military figure in the country after Khamenei. As the highest-ranking officer in Iran’s armed forces, Bagheri was responsible for implementing key military strategies and overseeing Iran's defense policies.

The United States had sanctioned Bagheri in 2009 along with Ayatollah Khamenei. In April 2024, he made headlines after meeting Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman Al Saud in Tehran—a rare diplomatic gesture amidst regional tensions.

Major General Hossein Salami – Commander-in-Chief of the IRGC

Major General Hossein Salami, head of Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was among the top officials reportedly killed in the Israeli operation. He led Iran’s elite military force and reported directly to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Salami was a staunch opponent of the United States and its allies, overseeing several regional operations involving Iran-backed militias. Under his command, the IRGC provided military and logistical support to Yemen’s Houthis, especially during the Red Sea disruptions amid the Gaza war. He also oversaw Iran’s first-ever direct missile attacks on Israel in April and October 2024.

He was in charge of the IRGC when it mistakenly shot down a Ukrainian passenger plane in 2020.

Ali Shamkhani – Senior Advisor to Supreme Leader

Ali Shamkhani, a key advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has held various prominent government positions, including roles within the IRGC and the Defense Ministry, and continues to be a top national security official.

Shamkhani was not only a prominent figure domestically but was also well-regarded in diplomatic circles for his role in re-establishing diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia after years of estrangement. He also ran for the presidential office in 2001.

Notably, Shamkhani advised Khamenei on nuclear talks with the US. He had also previously warned that Iran would cease cooperation with the IAEA if it felt threatened by the organisation.

Iranian state media confirmed the death of Commander of Iran’s Khatam al-Anbia Central Headquarters Major General Gholam Ali Rashid, in an Israeli attack. This adds to casualties within the IRGC, the Defense Ministry, and the Supreme National Security Council.

Additionally, six nuclear scientists were also among those killed:

Abdulhamid Minouchehr, Ahmadreza Zolfaghari, Seyyed Amirhossein Faqhi, Motlabizadeh, Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, a theoretical physicist and the president of the Islamic Azad University in Tehran, and Fereydoun Abbasi, former head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran.